During recent years, the issue of access to affordable medicines has received considerable attention
among government policy makers, donors, advocacy groups, and the media, both globally and in countries at
every income level. One key issue has been the relative dearth of valid and reliable data on the prices
paid for medicines by governments, private drug outlets, and consumers. With
technical support
from faculty of the CCPP , WHO and Health Action International have collaborated since 2001 on a highly
successful and influential project to develop practical and scientifically sound approaches for Measuring
Medicines Prices. To date, over 50 countries have conducted medicines price surveys using this methodology,
generating a broad range of evidence for the development of national pharmaceutical policies.

In order to build capacity among key government policy makers, policy advisors, and survey managers who have
conducted WHO-HAI medicines price surveys, WHO convened the Advanced Technical Briefing Seminar on Medicines
Prices, Availability, and Price Regulation from April 30 to May 4 2007. This training focused on understanding
and interpreting data from medicines price surveys and using the evidence to develop appropriate policy options,
Dr. Dennis Ross-Degnan and Ms. Brenda Waning of the CCPP taught sessions in this briefing on
(1) synthesis of work on pharmaceutical pricing in Central Asia; (2) experiences with promoting greater use of
generic medicines in the US;
(3) procurement price monitoring for antiretroviral medicines; and (4) how health insurance can impact on
prices, availability and rational use of medicines.